WASHINGTON - A U.S. Justice Department investigation will allege sweeping patterns of discrimination within the Ferguson, Missouri, police department and at the municipal jail and court, a law enforcement official familiar with the report said Tuesday.

The report, which could be ......

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FILE - In this Nov. 25, 2014 file photo, police officers watch protesters as smoke fills the streets in Ferguson, Mo. after a grand jury's decision in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. A Justice Department investigation has found patterns of racial bias in the Ferguson police department and at the municipal jail and court. The full report, to be publicly released on March 4, says the investigation found Ferguson officers disproportionately used excessive force against blacks and too often charged them with petty offenses. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)